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Alleged Kalamazoo Shooter Picked Up Uber Fares During, After Killing Spree

Posted by timothy on from the work-around-your-schedule dept.

theodp writes: Police allege that Uber driver Jason Dalton shot 8 people in three different locations, killing six people. But the story gets even crazier, Gizmodo reports, as Dalton allegedly not only picked up Uber passengers between shootings, he continued to drive people around after his last shooting at 10:24pm at a Cracker Barrel restaurant. One of his last passengers before Dalton was arrested even joked, "You're not the shooter, are you?" Uber Chief Security Officer Joe Sullivan issued the following Statement on Kalamazoo: "We are horrified and heartbroken at the senseless violence in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Our hearts and prayers are with the families of the victims of this devastating crime and those recovering from injuries. We have reached out to the police to help with their investigation in any way that we can."

10 of 312 comments (clear)

  1. how is that relevant? by ooloorie · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If he had been a regular cab driver, he might have done the same, and an official taxi would have been even better camouflage. If he had been a stock trader, he might have continued to do trades. If he was selling crap on Ebay, he might have continued doing that too. How is his driving for Uber at all relevant?

    1. Re:how is that relevant? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Wish I had moderation points for boosting the parent here. The guy worked somewhere, and committed heinous crimes. One fact has nothing to do with the other.

    2. Re:how is that relevant? by fluffernutter · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Because someone who is a psychotic killer is far less likely to engage in a profession where they know who you are, and have all kinds of information on you including fingerprints. There is something to be said for using an industry where people know who the others are. Uber is next to anonymous, which is a perfect job for freaks. If the Uber rating system is so great, why did the riders feel the need to go to facebook about this guy? They should have given him a poor rating and been absolutely satisfied that the rating system would do its job.

      --
      Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
    3. Re:how is that relevant? by Gojira+Shipi-Taro · · Score: 2, Insightful

      They went to FB for attention. Once they realized this was a news story, he figured it was time for their 15 minutes. A normal bad driver you would use the ratings system. Something criminal, you call the police. If you're banking on getting some cash for a TV Movie or something, you go on FB.

      Same as if he had encountered a killer in any other profession on the day of the killings.

      I have no idea why people defend cab companies. This would have happened just as easily there. The guy had no record, he would have passed any cab company's background check. He just would have charged the riders twice as much, taken longer routes, and been slow to show up.

      --
      "Oh my God. This is terrible. This is the end of my Presidency. I'm fucked."; ~ Donald J. Trump
  2. Re:Uber does not seem to be involved... by rmdingler · · Score: 3, Insightful
    Oh, they're involved all right... the victims' families have someone to sue.

    Ask Tracy Morgan if Walmart was involved.

    --
    Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.

    Ernest Hemingway

  3. Re:Here we go! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Hey, he didn't shoot any Uber riders, did he? Just as safe as any other transportation service.

  4. Irony by PvtVoid · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The irony is that he had to have a license to drive his car, but to buy the handgun? Not so much.

  5. Right to life by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    So glad the right to own a gun trumps people's right to live without being shot to death.

  6. Re:where were you? by fluffernutter · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Only in the movies do the good guys with guns do the right thing in the right place at the right time.

    --
    Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
  7. Another shooting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

    Serious USA, you need to sort that shit out. While you're at it why not become a full-fledged first-world country by having universal healthcare that's free at point-of-service?